12 Angry Victors
by Makemyday95
Summary: A re-imagining of the scene in Mockingjay where Coin proposes the Capitol Hunger Games. Based on the movies Conspiracy and 12 Angry Men. Oneshot. P.S. Finnick lives


12 Angry Victors

* * *

The clocks on the walls struck 1300 hours as Haymitch Abernathy stepped out of the hovercraft into the stringent atmosphere of District 13. He nodded at the pilot and made his way through the hangar. The harsh faces of the soldiers and officials greeted him as he went into the labyrinth of District 13. He stopped in the food court near the hangar. He didn't know why he had been summoned here, but he didn't want to do it on an empty stomach.

He ordered moonshine, Thirteen's specialty. He took a moment between drinks to gaze over the crowds, the people looking more and more like automatons the more he stayed here. Having just won a war he'd thought that they would loosen up even just a little bit. But to him, it was just dead. They didn't even have good liquor. _Moonshine! Really?_ For such an advanced district, it was a backwards drink, one that people in 12 had made in dirty bath tubs to sell to peace keepers. He was sorely missing his white liquor right now. Good old fashioned District 12 brew. Ingredients: a need for escapism, starvation, and desperation.

Thirteen didn't allow smoking, so that wasn't an option either. Haymitch desperately wished he could go back to whatever was left of 12, but that was not yet an option.

His slightly inebriated reverie was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Haymitch!"

He turned to see an energetic young man with short black hair, with his face lit up in recognition. A face that Haymitch had not seen since the Quarter Quell, which was almost two years ago. It was Sheen Regala, Victor of the 66th Hunger Games. The last he heard, Sheen had been in the capital fighting off counterrevolutionaries. Haymitch briefly acknowledged him before turning back to his mug. Sheen sat down next to Haymitch.

"Moonshine? Really?"

Haymitch snorted. "I was just thinking that myself, actually." Sheen laughed good-naturedly.

"I'm slightly surprised to see you here actually."

Sheen tilted his head. "Plutarch did call for a Victor's Council."

"No, I meant alive."

Sheen shook his head.

"I won the games for a reason. Anyways, what have you been up to?"

Haymitch smiled. "I've been in 12, helping with the reparations and trying to get a legitimate rebuilding project going."

"Good for you. How is the Mockingjay?"

"She was released from intensive care with Mellark about three weeks ago. Lives in 13 with him." Katniss had apparently finally hooked up with Peeta. It was about fucking time too. On Katniss's end however, he suspected it had more to do with guilt than it did love.

Sheen looked at his watch. "We should go."

Haymitch nodded in agreement and got up to follow Sheen despite the protest of his thirst.

As they walked, Sheen asked "What do you think this is about?"

Haymitch shrugged. The possibilities were truly endless, but he suspected it had something to do with Snow's upcoming trial. For a Plutarch Heavensbee event, this entire affair had been kept unusually quiet. No camera crews, phone calls, or even this new thing called the internet had been involved. They were too public. Plutarch had personally visited him, refusing to tell him what the matter was, just to arrive in 13 at a certain time. This unnerved him just a little bit. Nothing a little drink wouldn't solve.

"Your guess is as good as mine" Haymitch said.

The pair proceeded to move deeper and deeper into the heart of District 13, the Underground City. Haymitch tried to keep to himself, but Sheen wouldn't stop talking. As it turned out, the boy had been in combat for the entire duration of the war. He was simply excited to see a familiar face, so Haymitch couldn't find it within himself to begrudge the boy for that. To be honest, after dealing with Katniss and Peeta for so long, it was refreshing to see someone with more…spunk.

As they got nearer to the command center, Sheen became less jovial. He stopped for a minute and turned completely towards Haymitch.

"How many of us are left?"

Haymitch didn't need to ask what he meant by that. But he honestly didn't know the answer. There were fifty –four victors alive before the Third Quarter Quell, but now, who knew?

"At least seven of us…I think?" The truth is after the business with Squad 451, he just shut everything off and returned to 12 to do something productive for once.

Sheen looked down in disbelief. The victors weren't exactly friends, but there was an unusual bond in between all of them that came from a common experience in the arena. That there were so few of them left bothered him.

At Haymitch's urging, the pair walked through the command center, going through all of the necessary security checkpoints. They were both known by face here so it wasn't necessary, but Thirteen never liked deviating from Standard Operating Procedure.

Finally they arrived at their destination: a clandestine little room in the subbasement of the command center. There was a long rectangular table in the middle of it with labels that appeared to have names on them. There were some fifteen chairs around it. Two were occupied by other victors. A door in the corner of the room was labeled as 'Lavatory'.

Haymitch shook his head. _They couldn't even call it a bathroom?_

The two seated at the table turned towards the newcomers.

Beetee Stark and Enobaria Grey had been in the room for about ten minutes before Sheen and Haymitch arrived. Neither talked, this had suited the other. Beetee was wondering about the nature of this meeting silently and Enobaria seemed to enjoy staring at the clock next to the door.

Sheen was the first to break the silence. "Nice to see you two again"

This was simply a formality. Enobaria and Sheen didn't care much for each other. In fact, Sheen ended up killing Enobaria's tribute last to win his games, which naturally created tension between the two.

"Indeed." Beetee said.

"Do any of you know what's going on here?" Haymitch asked, cutting to the chase.

"Actually, we were wondering the same thing."

Sheen and Haymitch both looked at Beetee in confusion.

"We're not leaving any time soon; you might as well make yourselves comfortable." Beetee said.

The two sat down in their allotted seats. Another minute passed before two more people came through the door. Everyone in the room recognized the happy couple of District Four: Finnick and Annie Odair.

They exchanged pleasantries with the victors already present and Finnick sat down. Annie rushed to Sheen embracing him.

"Thank you so much for bringing him back. I'm sorry I never got the chance to thank you" she gushed.

Sheen shrugged. "Just doing my duty." He shared a look with Finnick, the latter nodding at him. Annie went over and sat next to her husband, happily fiddling with his now longer hair.

Haymitch looked at the pair and almost laughed at the stark contrast between them and his own pair of 'Star Crossed Lovers'. It was Night and Day, really.

Enobaria gave a start at seeing Finnick. "How are you not dead?"

Finnick shrugged. "Disappointed?"

Enobaria rolled her eyes. "How are you alive?"

"Sheen's unit found me about a minute after Katniss tossed a grenade into the sewer with me and some mutts. Not a very pleasant experience, I may add."

Enobaria sneered. "Worried about your complexion?"

"Actually, yes. My features are very delicate." He said with a grin. Annie gave a muffled laugh as Enobaria snorted.

The next people to arrive were all victors. Clint Stepehens, Victor of the 55th Games, Lyme Elwood, Victor of the 49th Games, and Ramona Black, Victor of the 72nd Games, filed into the room to their seats. Several conversations were going on now.

Finnick, Annie, and Haymitch were all trading stories about the statuses of their respective districts. Ramona was slightly dazed from alcohol and probably morphling too. She had only received news about the fall of the Capitol the previous night having been far north in an area once known as Canada for several months. Clint and Sheen were trading war stories, namely about Clint's unusual set of scars that involved a slight Glasgow smile.

"It was done on purpose, so stop staring." Sheen figured this answer was as good as any, and decided to not press the matter.

Enobaria looked over to Ramona. "hung over?"

Ramona shrugged. "I have to celebrate somehow."

Beetee, sitting nearby, decided not to point out that her way of celebrating was the same as her way of dealing with the post-traumatic stress disorder that came with the Games.

Lyme asked out loud "Why are we here? Does anybody know?"

Everybody collectively shook their heads.

"I was taken out of the field for a secret committee by Plutarch and no one knows why. This better be good" she muttered.

Enobaria began clapping sarcastically. "Look who's here! It's the beloved _Mockingjay!"_

Katniss Everdeen, who was standing at the door with her co-victor Peeta Mellark, rolled her eyes and silently took her seat, ushered in by Plutarch Heavensbee.

Katniss turned to Plutarch. "Okay, why is _she _here?"

Enobaria shrugged and Plutarch said "It was part of your conditions with Coin to be the Mockingjay. Also, she is a victor and this matter involves her too."

Clint shouted "Then tell us why we're here!"

Everybody was standing now (except Beetee, who was in fact, in a wheel chair still.)

"In due time, my friends." Plutarch answered.

Peeta looked over to Finnick.

"Thank you for helping me on the mission. I never got the chance to-"

"Yeah yeah I get it." Finnick said, cutting Peeta off in a bear hug. He looked over to Katniss.

"Want some of this?"

Katniss smiled to herself. Finnick hadn't changed since the mission. He was still a source of light, him and Annie together. The rays of light had been few and far in between since Prim had been killed by…Coin's bombs? Gale's? Beetee's? Snow's? She wasn't sure, and probably never would be. Her relationship with her mother was virtually nonexistent. She tried to break through to Katniss when she had gone catatonic, but now there was nothing to be said. Part of this was fueled by the shame that in her 'mental Avox' period that she became her mother. The shutting down reaction was exactly the same from when her mother lost her husband. Katniss refused to face herself for that.

"Anybody in there?" Finnick asked, interrupting her train of thought.

Katniss moved to answer, but was cut off.

"Victors, your attention please!" Plutarch had announced. He seemed less jovial than the last time Katniss had met him. Apparently the war took its toll on him as well.

"President of District Thirteen, Alma Coin has the floor!" he continued. At this, said woman moved into the room with a frigid authority.

She moved silently to the head of the table and sat down. Everyone else followed suit.

Coin cut right to the chase. "The reason you have been summoned here today is-"

"Wait! Don't start!" Johanna Mason, shouted from the hall. She ran into the room and sat down, ignoring Coin's dark look. She gave a sarcastic, sweet smile to the occupants of the room.

"Sorry I'm late. Time flies when you're having fun, right?" No one answered.

"As I was saying" Coin continued, keeping her cool, "This Council of Victors has been assembled for a very specific reason. The question of punishment. As you are all aware, Coriolanus Snow is in custody awaiting trial. His execution is not likely to happen until the late spring, around the time when the Hunger Games would have been ending. As the temporary leader of Panem until we can organize elections, my advisors and I have decided on something. What has been proposed is that in lieu of eliminating the entire Capitol population, we have a final, symbolic Hunger Games, using the children directly related to those who held the most power."

The energy of the room was sucked dry. Some victors were openly disgusted. Katniss remained emotionless. Sheen felt the color drain from his face. He stood up and pointed at Coin.

"What!" He shouted. "We just fought a war over this, and with over 200,000 people dead, do you expect us to-"

"Mr Regala, let me finish. There will be room for discussion on this later. I need to know if you are with me right now."

Sheen quietly and slowly sat back down in his seat, fuming but intimidated.

Having everyone's attention, Alma Coin continued. "These games will be held with the capitolite children as the tributes. 28 will be reaped, one for each district in addition to the Capitol counting as its own district. After the conclusion of the games, Coriolanus Snow will be executed to complete the punishment. Mr. Heavensbee will oversee the details and logistics of making it happen, as he is a former gamemaker."

Plutarch shifted uncomfortably at this, feeling the glare of every victor in the room.

Coin pressed on. "Plutarch, my new second in command Leslie Paylor and I have agreed that it is the place of the surviving victors to decide if this will happen. We leave the decision up to you 12 in a vote. It does not have to be unanimous, but a majority of the votes will decide in favor of one or the other. You will have as long as you need to decide this. Plutarch and I will leave the room to allow you to debate this. When your final votes are in let me know. Any questions?"

Peeta raised his hand. "Who else knows about this?"

"Just the fifteen of us, Mr. Mellark. Everyone present in this room and Leslie Paylor. Anybody else?"

"Is it a secret ballet?" Ramona asked.

"No."

"Whose idea was this?" Haymitch called out.

"Mine" Coin admitted.

No one made a move. Coin nodded and left the room with Plutarch, shutting the door. For almost a minute no one spoke. The temperature seemed to have gone up. To Katniss, the atmosphere in the room was so tense that she would not be surprised if the entire room went up in flames due to one little spark. Then Finnick began nervously laughing.

"So I heard this great joke by a medic who treated me. A guy lives on the thirteenth floor of an apartment building and one day-"

"That's not why we are here." Beetee said. "We must decide this, probably with haste. I imagine that President Coin will be anxious to hear our decision."

Haymitch then spoke. "Is there an option to filibuster this?"

"If you are so inclined, but remember what I said about Coin. I am concerned that anxiety will get the best of her."

Clint chimed in. "How would one go about making this happen? The logistics are somewhat complex. I mean, arenas are designed years in advance, right? How would we redistrict the capitol in time to get past land claims? What of the Capitol citizens in the sub districts in the land between the districts? It seems like a nightmare logistically."

Beetee turned to Clint. "Good observation. However, I have no doubt that Alma Coin has put a great deal of thought into this, possibly even having planned this before the Third Quarter Quell."

"So this has been planned all along?" Sheen asked.

"I don't know. But it's possible." Beetee answered.

"So how are we going to do this?" Katniss asked.

"I suppose we can go around the table and go by District. Everyone will have a chance to give their opinion and cast a vote. Keep in mind that you may change your vote but this is not a secret ballet. Coin will know who voted for what. When we're done, I will send for Plutarch and Coin to come back in and we will go over the votes. Being from district one, our friend Sheen has the floor."

Sheen stood up and cleared his throat. Those who knew him better knew a long winded speech was coming.

"Is this even necessary? Do I honestly have to say why I vote no? As some of you may know, I did not spend the duration of the war in captivity, or in some mental hospital, or drunk somewhere, or in charge of creating bombs. I was on the front lines literally from the time Katniss shattered the arena."

Sheen began pacing the room. "Coin placed me in charge of a unit that fought within the capitol with no help for the better part of two years. The rescue of our friends Enobaria (Enobaria snorted at this) Johanna, Annie and Peeta was because my team helped clear the way. I fought alongside the Capitol Underground, a group of citizens sympathetic to us and in particular a man named Enjolras who was just as passionate about revolution as the rest of us. So I believe I have the right to say this: Punishing them will solve nothing." Sheen sat down again.

"This is wrong. I vote no. Enobaria?"

Enobaria didn't bother standing up. When she was reaped she played to the one with the most power. Then it was The Gamemakers. After becoming a victor, it was Snow. When they rebelled it was Coin. When she was captured it was Snow again. Now it was Coin. Shameless, she knew, but she didn't survive this far by thinking about matters like this. "Yes. Lyme?"

Finnick interjected "Can I ask why?"

Enobaria "Because Coin will know who voted. I don't care. Kill their kids. They did it to us. Lyme?"

Finnick kept at it though "So you're a coward."

Enobaria responded by baring her fanged teeth. " You have no right to judge. I do what I have to, to survive. Just. Like. The. Rest. Of. Us. Lyme?"

Lyme shook her head. "I don't know. I need more time to decide."

Beetee said "Then you elect to abstain for now?"

Lyme nodded.

"Fair enough, we'll go back to you. I too need more time to think. What will punishing their children solve? How far are we willing to go to create order? Finnick?"

Finnick stood up. "You guys know what Snow made me do. I can't wish that upon anyone else. Their victor would be a complete outcast. We just fought a war for this. No."

He sat down and wrapped his arm around Annie, who spoke up.

"I don't want to bring my child into a world where these still exist. Especially if there is anything we can do about it."

With that she rested her head on Finnick's shoulder.

Ramona Black, from District 6, just shook her head, unsure of herself. "I'll uh I'll pass."

She was one of many tributes who took after Johanna Mason by playing themselves down as weak. She was the only successful one, much to Johanna's chagrin.

Johanna rolled her eyes in annoyance "Wow. Okay, are there really only twelve of us left?"

No one answered. Their numbers had dwindled so far that they really did not want to think much more about it. Johanna continued. "Yeah I'll vote yes. Give the fucks a chance to play their games. Kill them all."

Sheen was horrified.

"You'll have to mentor at least one of them you know." He said.

Johanna laughed grimly. "Ask me if I care. A chance to get back at them is so great, I feel almost giddy about this. You know, it's lucky that we didn't just nuke the bastards."s

Ramona spoke again. "I'll decide now. I vote yes."

Johanna snorted. "Of course you do."

Katniss started on her feet. "Oh now that the 'cool' victor votes yes you do too? Do you have any opinions on this at all?"

Ramona said "You know nothing of me."

Katniss shook her head. "The question stands. Answer it."

"I say, yes."

"Why?" Sheen asked.

"Because-because I think this is the way to go. Clint?"

Clint Stephens of District Ten looked around the room. "Pass. Ramona, Please answer the question."

"I DID GODDAMNIT!"

Peeta held his hand up. "This is getting nowhere. I say no. I can't bring myself to see it any other way."

He looked expectantly at Katniss. "I need more time."

Peeta did a double take. "You're not seriously considering…" he looked at Haymitch.

Haymitch shook his head. "Beetee?"

"I have made up my mind. I say no. Punishing will get us nowhere. We must approach this with malice towards none. The war is over. The vote is now 5 to 3, in favor of no."

Sheen raised his hand.

"Christ sake, Sheen, this isn't a schoolroom. Speak your mind." Johanna said.

Sheen raised his eyebrow. "Does anybody else wonder if this is how the Hunger Games began? A council of scared people asking themselves to do the impossible?"

This echoed Katniss's thoughts completely. She found herself nodding with several other people in the room.

Clint shifted in his seat. "I vote yes" he announced. Looking at Sheen he added "yes, I have a good reason."

"Let's hear it."

Johanna gave a sigh in annoyance. "Good god, can we just get this done?"

Finnick coughed. "I'm willing to put in some time."

"May I continue?" Clint asked.

He did not wait for an answer. "These people put us in the Arena. They dressed us up like dolls, made us bend over backwards to them for entertainment. And cheered both for and against us an when were in the process of killing children and dying. I honestly don't know where you are coming from Sheen, this is a population that is so depraved that they would cheer at the games even if _they _were contestants. Shit, there might even be careers among them. You know how they like to imitate their favorite tributes. They might even go so far as to believe in the pride and honor bullshit that the career districts have deluded themselves into believing."

Finnick and Annie made protests, while Enobaria snickered as if confirming the statement. Lyme showed no emotion.

Sheen shook his head. "I fought with this guy named Enjolras in the capitol. He was the leader of the Capitol Underground. Looking at him, he wanted to overthrow the Capitol as badly as you or I. The fire in his eyes…I will never forget that. The entire group he lead, volunteers from the capitol."

"Good thing then that your friend waited until it was acceptable to rebel."

"You didn't know him, I did. You can't say that. They had neither resources nor the information we did."

"Where is he now?"

"If you must know, dead."

"Of course he is. Or are you just saying this because you are from one of maybe three districts who got off relatively light from the capitol?"

"You do realize that 5 people from those districts are in this room?"

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you don't have a fucking clue what you are talking about."

"I know what the _careers_ in my games wanted to do to me. No one in their right minds would volunteer."

Katniss coughed.

Clint looked at Katniss and rolled his eyes. "Except her of course. I mean there are good people to come out of those places; I'll be the first to admit it. But they are so brainwashed, to the point of being machines almost."

Sheen and Finnick were both on their feet now. Sheen was shouting.

"Do you even know why the career system started? To give the kids a fighting chance! To make sure that they would get the benefits of parcel days following a victory! My district, one, was like twelve before it did that. It was desperation, not honor."

"The careers sure were desperate to volunteer in order to kill my district partner in the slowest way possible."

Annie, having been quiet the entire time, suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

Sheen did not give up. "Your narrow view of this prevents you from thinking this through. We were all desperate to survive. It's the same with every tribute. No one wants to die and backed into a corner people will fight viciously."

"What in god's name does his have to do with a vote?" Johanna asked out loud. She was quickly ignored.

Clint was standing too. "Great excuse from someone from the district that was one step away from being a clone of the capitol. Your District's sadism has blinded it. You guys sided with the Capitol from day one. I would not be surprised if your 'fighting' in the capitol was any more fake then Squad 451's. Your fake friend Enjolras-"

Sheen lunged at Clint, but was held back by Finnick.

"FUCK YOU! I'm Gonna Kill you!" he seethed.

Clint wasn't done yet. "Your districts sold us out, and when we did rebel, they were the slowest to join. We know their type. It's a dangerous type, one that the capitol created. These people may not have created the games, your careers, but damn you guys all seemed too happy about it. Sadists all of them."

Finnick let Sheen go, who exploded towards Clint. Both men began shouting curses at each other, much to the mixed horror and chagrin of everyone else.

Annie was now hyperventilating. She felt like she was drowning now, in the sea of voices and shouting. Just like in the arena. Arena…swimming. Drowning. Sinking. Moving up and down in the water. A flood. She felt like screaming. She opened her mouth but didn't hear anything come out.

Finnick however, did and was now at his pregnant wife's side. "Shh… it's okay. It's okay" he kept repeating as he put his hands on her head to calm her down.

Everyone else was startled into silence by Annie's screaming. The pathetic sobs of Annie, and the whispers of Finnick consoling her echoed throughout the room. Clint and Sheen sat back down, both looking at the floor.

Beetee coughed. "I feel we should take a break for five minutes, to gather our bearings. Any objections?"

The silence in the room answered the question.

Finnick, still whispering to Annie, got up with her and the pair went into the bathroom. A few people got up to stretch their legs. Haymitch, Beetee, Ramona and Enobaria remained seated.

Lyme looked over at Sheen. "What exactly did you do in the Capitol?"

"Guerrilla fighting. I was there from the time right after the quarter quell."

"That's almost two years!"

"I'm aware. How long were you in command at district 2?"

"About…six months. Trying to convince my district to rebel was a nightmare. Those honor codes b.s., you know?"

"They just, they just didn't want to give up their way of life."

"You know what I found to be the fiercest fighter on both sides?"

"What?"

Sheen paused for a minute. "Someone who's only other option is death. A tribute."

Katniss seemed to find the clock as the most interesting thing the room. They had been in there for an hour now. Peeta was trying to talk to her, but she felt too distant to make out what he was saying. To tell the truth, her head was spinning with the events of the past hour. Moreover, she was sure that this Victor's Council was one of Coin's ways to determine the loyalty of the remaining victors. As much as she hated to admit it, Enobaria had been right in that regard.

"Katniss?"

She acknowledged Peeta for the first time. "What?"

"What do you think?"

She shared her reservations about Coin. Peeta took this in thoughtfully.

He spoke again. "But we have the power to stop this right now. This is our chance."

"How do you think they will react?"

Peeta stopped confused. "Who?"

Katniss looked into Peeta. "We have been fighting a war over this. How will the public react, the districts? Will it be just a name change for them, nothing more?"

"I-I don't know."

In the bathroom, Finnick had managed to get Annie stabilized. He splashed water on her face, and this seemed to have a calming effect on her.

"Are you ready to go back out there now?"

"Yes. I'm worried about the baby."

"_He _will be fine. Just don't over exert yourself" he said softly.

"I felt _her _kick and it was just… too much." Her voice was now barely above a whisper. "

"You are fine. _He _is fine." He added with a wink "Nothing with my blood in it will be easy to get rid of, _that _I promise you."

Annie smiled. Finnick, satisfied, took Annie back into the main room.

Clint was describing the types of beer that can be found in Ten to Haymitch.

"I agree, but Eleven always had the best. Chaff always got us the best stuff." Haymitch said.

Clint was quiet now. "Chaff was a good guy…"

The two fell silent.

Beetee cleared his throat. "Let's get this done. Right now the vote is 5-4, I favor of No. We will go around the table once more, but try to remain civilized. We will try to reason this out. No abstaining this time."

Everyone sat back down. Beetee looked over to Sheen. "Your final vote?"

Sheen looked around the table. "No. It would make us just as bad. No honor in sending kids to their deaths."

Beetee looked to Enobaria. "This is about honor? I may be from two, but I saw through that bullshit a long time ago. None of us have it, so don't pretend that you do." Enobaria was standing now.

"As I said earlier, you have no right to judge. A right to not like me, but no right whatsoever to judge me. So please don't insult the rest of us with your pretentious"

"Shut the fuck up and vote." Haymitch said with a sigh.

"Yes. Lyme?" She was in her seat now, fuming.

Lyme pursed her lips. "Yes. Just once, to give perspective to the capitolites. If we treat this not as a public spectacle but as another battle to be fought, a necessary evil, it will not be the same as last time. It will be perceived differently by the public. Coin did say it was in lieu of eliminating the entire population, which obviously is much worse."

"Would she really nuke the capitol?" Peeta asked.

"No. There are countries outside of Panem that would probably not take that too well." Finnick said.

Katniss didn't share that optimism. Where was the rest of the world for the past 76 years?

Beetee adjusted his glasses. "No. Punishing their kids will solve nothing. You don't have to answer this, but do you really think that Coin will stop at just one Hunger Games?"

Finnick and Annie both said "No." at the same time.

"After what Snow made me do, I can't force that on anyone else." Finnick said. Annie shifted nervously at the mention of Finnick's time as a forced prostitute.

Ramona took a deep breath, and with conviction said "The games are what got me into morphling. They took my dignity, my humanity, and my family. They should feel the same. Yes."

Johanna, slightly surprised that Ramona stood on her own convictions, said. "Why not? It seems fair to me. I think that Snow even has a granddaughter. I vote yes."

"Please, there are good people in the Capitol. It is worth saving." Sheen said, his voiced laced with desperation.

"Snow proved otherwise. Blame him, not me." Johanna said, raising her hands as if to surrender.

"Speaking of Snow, when is his execution?" Clint asked.

"Hopefully before the games." Katniss said. "I think it should be before."

"Why? It will be perfect to see his granddaughter in the Arena. Break him, then kill him. I vote yes." Clint said with no shortage of venom in his voice.

"The perfect revenge" Johanna added.

"Dish best served cold, sweetheart." Haymitch quipped.

Johanna glared at Haymitch for using the name usually reserved for Katniss.

"It's too late for that." She shot back. Haymitch just shrugged.

"The irony in the punishment makes it that much better." Ramona said.

At this Sheen stood up and went into the bathroom, ignoring the protests of Beetee. He was barely holding back tears at the thought of the Games continuing.

"Isn't that why the games started in the first place?" Peeta responded, with an edge to his voice.

"No one deserves what we went through. No one. My final vote, no." Peeta said.

Everyone now looked expectantly at Haymitch and Katniss.

"As a reminder, the vote is tied at 5." Beetee announced.

Haymitch and Katniss remained silent.

Sheen, in the tiny, sterile bathroom took a hard look at the mirror on the wall. He washed his hands and face and returned into the room, more composed now.

"Haymitch?" Beetee asked.

Haymitch took a deep breath. He looked at Katniss and nodded. "I'm with the mockingjay."

Katniss looked at Haymitch, and then at the rest of the Victors. The Mockingjay now held the decision. There would be no tie.

"Can we have Snow's execution moved to next month, as opposed to the spring?" she asked out loud.

Clint shook his head. "We've already been over this."

She tried to weigh the pros and cons of what she was about to do. There was no doubt in her mind that this was another test from Coin, like sending a mentally unstable Peeta after her in the field. There could be no turning back.

The silence was killing Finnick, who took off his right shoe and started making knots with the laces, earning strange looks from the victors who didn't know him as well as Katniss did. Had this been under different circumstances, she would have laughed at some of their reactions.

Katniss looked over the victors one more time. Ramona, Clint and Sheen she didn't really interact with on the Victory tour, so she knew next to nothing about them, or how they would react to her decision. She began to panic. What if she makes the wrong decision? There were so many variables in play that she wasn't sure. What would Gale do? He would have said no and then probably killed Coin (or at least attempted to) for suggesting the idea in the first place. Gale…bombs…Prim. Her sister bursting into flames would haunt her forever. She knew now what had to be done.

"I vote yes. For Prim."

Sheen put his head into his hands. Peeta looked at Katniss horrified.

Sheen had to try one last time. "Do you think that your sister would have wanted this, Mockingjay?" he asked weakly.

"You didn't know her!" Katniss shouted.

"And you don't know the 27 kids you just condemned." Sheen responded coldly.

"Is your vote final?" Beetee asked.

Katniss nodded. Sheen's head was now back in his hands. Finnick was making more furious, erratic movements with the laces on his shoe.

Beetee sighed in resignation and started moving his wheelchair towards the door slowly, as if taking his time to pressure Katniss into changing her mind. Katniss, however was tired of being manipulated and would not be swayed. He reached the door and knocked. After a minute, Plutarch answered.

"Are you guys ready?" he asked. Beetee nodded. Plutarch took out a communicuff and called Coin.

"They're ready."

Within 30 seconds Coin was in the room. Plutarch entered and shut the door.

"All against the idea raise your hands." She commanded.

Sheen, Beetee, Finnick, Annie, and Peeta raised their hands.

"All for the idea?" Coin asked.

Enobaria, Lyme, Ramona, Johanna, Clint, Haymitch, and Katniss raised their hands. Plutarch's face went starch white with.

Coin nodded in tacit approval. "Very well. Thank you for your cooperation. You are dismissed." She left the room. Plutarch followed, his face still devoid of color.

Just like that, it was decided. The victors began to file out of the room. Katniss remained in her seat for a minute.

Ramona hurried to catch up with Johanna. "Are there any good places in 13 to eat?" she asked.

"Well most of my time here was spent in the mental ward. 5 Star place. Every luxury imaginable. No expenses spared for our fine crazy people. Delicious cuisines too." She said sarcastically, prompting a snort from Ramona.

Katniss shot up, ignoring Peeta's glares. "Plutarch!" she called.

Plutarch, in the hallway turned around. "Yes Katniss?"

"Can we have the execution of Snow moved to before the games?"

Plutarch paused looking at a desperate Katniss. He knew there had to be a reason for this. He smiled slightly. "I'll see what I can do." Katniss, satisfied, returned to the room to get Peeta and her mentor. Sheen, Haymitch and Peeta were all alone in the room when she got back. She nodded at Haymitch.

Sheen's head was still in his hands. "Tell me more about your time in the capitol." Peeta said. Sheen, shook his head. "Another time" he mumbled. He got up and left, defeated.

"I have state mandated therapy to get to." Peeta said quietly. He rose and exited the room silently, refusing to look at Katniss. This pained her a lot more than it should have.

"What will you do now?" Haymitch asked.

"The only thing I can do." Katniss said. She was going home again, in the hopes that some of it, be it even a shred, still existed.

Haymitch nodded in understanding. The two stood up. They turned the lights off in the room and left, shutting the door behind them.

* * *

**This was inspired by one of my all time favorite films, _Twelve Angry Men. _The idea came to me after re-watching it. I wanted to do the scene where Coin proposes the Capitol Hunger Games in that style. This is meant to be a one-shot, but I am toying with the idea of writing more, set in this same universe with certain OCs and Finnick.**

**(Disclaimer: Nothing I can possibly say here will stand up in court, so I won't bother.)**


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